Andhra crashed to an innings and 90-run loss to Bengal in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground in Kalyani on Tuesday. India player Nitish Kumar Reddy waged a lone battle with 90.
Resuming at their overnight score of 64 for three, Andhra skipper Ricky Bhui and Nitish Kumar Reddy held fort for some time. However, it was a short-lived one as Ricky Bhui was caught by substitute Subham Chatterjee off Shahbaz for 30 off 51 balls with three fours.
Andhra lost two more wickets to be reduced to 96 for six. K V Sashikanth was trapped leg before by Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal for a duck and Saurabh Kumar was caught by AR Easwaran off Shahbaz for one.
With the match almost lost, Nitish, however, produced two productive partnerships which delayed the inevitable.
Nitish added 57 off 106 balls for the seventh wicket with Kalidindi Raju. Nitish contributed 29 off 39 balls to the partnership before Raju, who made 25 off 67 balls, fell to Anustup Majumdar.
Nitish then found another partner in Tripurana Vijay, and the duo added 85 off 110 balls for the eight wicket before Nitish fell.
Nitish was caught and bowled by Shahbaz for 90 which came off 144 balls with seven fours and two sixes.
Vijay was the last man to fall for a 61-ball 46 with six fours and two sixes as Andhra were bowled out for 244 in 72.2 overs. Wicketkeeper KS Bharat did not come to bat because of an injury.
Bengal will now meet Jammu & Kashmir in the second semifinal at the same venue from February 15 to 19. The first semifinal will be between Uttarakhand and Karnataka in Lucknow on the same dates.
Brief scores: Andhra 295 & 244 in 72.2 overs (CR Gnaneshwar 20, Ricky Bhui 30, Nitish Kumar Reddy 90, Kalidindi Raju 25, Tripurana Vijay 46; Shahbaz Ahmed 4/72, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal 2/42) lost to Bengal 629.
